Tony Bellew believes Rico Verhoeven can give Oleksandr Usyk some uncomfortable moments early on, but he still expects the undefeated heavyweight champion to eventually figure him out once the fight is settled in a boxing match. Bellew also warned that Verhoeven’s kickboxing background makes him far more dangerous than many boxing fans realise.
“If it was a kickboxing match, I’m telling you, Oleksandr is in big trouble. Don’t take a kick from him,” Bellew told DAZN Boxing. “Fortunately for Oleksandr Usyk, this is a boxing match. I think once the first three or four rounds are over and Oleksandr Usyk figures out that awkwardness and attitude and style, I think Rico could be in for a hard night’s work.
“Rico Verhoeven is a problem. He is a problem, and we don’t really know much about him from a boxing perspective. We don’t really know anything. He had one fight, and you can’t take anything from that. His kickboxing experience tells you a lot.”
During an interview previewing the Usyk-Verhoeven fight, Bellew said Verhoeven’s unorthodox style could create difficult moments before Usyk starts making adjustments.
“You’d forgive him for thinking this guy was a kickboxer. I’m not going to have to be 100% to beat this guy, just like Tyson Fury thought against Francis Ngannou,” Bellew said. “Or will he take the Anthony Joshua approach when you go in there and say, ‘This is a serious fight. I’ve got to get rid of this guy.’
“I don’t believe he will take him lightly. Usyk is the consummate professional. He is a diligent professional. You will never get this guy to sleep. You have to get out of bed very, very early to catch him.”
Bellew still made it clear that he sees Usyk eventually taking control once he gathers enough information during the fight.
“I think this fight will be very exciting for the six, seven, maybe eight rounds that it goes. I think Oleksandr will look at Rico. He’ll unload what he’s doing. He’ll find out what the feints will do to him, which way he’ll pull him.
“If he unloaded it all, he’ll get rid of Verhoeven. He’ll just have too much, and that’s the way it’s going to go. He’s doing the same to everyone else,” Bellew said.
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Last updated on 2026/05/18 at 23:10
